Out of the Closet
by Mikkeneko
Summary: Edward," Hawkeye said kindly. "Has it occurred to you that you and Alphonse may be spending too much time alone?"


Havoc shifted himself carefully in his chair, bracing his boots against the desk and tilting it back on two legs. Leaning over, he shoved open the window and then settled back into his seat, pulling a cigarette from his pocket with a satisfied sigh.  
  
The click of the lighter carried across the office, and Breda looked up from his own work. Hey, Havoc, he said. You'd better not let Hawkeye catch you smoking that in the office, or she'll have a fit.  
  
I've got the window open, Havoc objected, so the only way she'll find _out_ is if you tell her. He flicked the lighter closed, and slipped in into his pocket.  
  
Yeah, right. Breda turned his chair around, and leaned over his desk towards Havoc's. She's got a nose like a bloodhound, you know, and there's this look she always gets when there's something she disapproves of, I swear --  
  
Havoc took a pull on his cigarette, reasoning that even if Hawkeye were to burst in at this moment, he would get a few lungfuls of smoke first. You're imagining things, he said loftily. Lieutenant Hawkeye _always_ has that look.  
  
Maybe when she's looking at _you,_ Breda grinned at him. Havoc, have you thought that maybe those smoke-sticks you carry around are the reason you can't get a girl to look at you twice?  
  
Havoc snapped, and his chair thumped forwards onto the floor. I can _get_ any girl I want to look at me twice, I just don't happen to want _any_ girl. I have some taste, unlike --  
  
A knock resounded through the room, cutting off the conversation, and Havoc cursed softly as he fumbled his cigarette away from his lips and out of sight. It was the outer door that opened, though, not Hawkeye from the inner door, and it was only the Fullmetal Alchemist who opened it.  
  
Surprised, Havoc managed a salute. Ed waved him down, though, before he could start to get up. Oh, good morning.  
  
Good morning, Edward, Breda echoed. What are you doing here at this time of day? I thought you were between assignments.  
  
Morning, Breda, Ed seemed in a surprisingly cheerful mood, or he wouldn't have bothered responding. Havoc. I _am_ on down time right now, though that's between me and the Jerk. Speaking of which, is he in right now?  
  
Uh, he should be. Havoc glanced at Breda for confirmation, who shrugged. I don't know if he's taking appointments though, ask Hawkeye.  
  
That's okay. Ed snickered. I don't want to talk to him for very long, I just want to see him _face-to-face._  
  
That made no particular sense to Havoc, so he only shrugged again. Well, go on in, then, he said.  
  
Ed took off across the office; Havoc reached for his paper. As Ed passed his desk, though, he could have sworn he heard the Fullmetal Alchemist mutter, under his breath, Damn, how do they _walk_ in these --  
  
Havoc frowned, and looked up again. He could have sworn there was something odd about the way Edward was walking today -- as though he was constantly in danger of losing his balance. Ed wouldn't come into the office _drunk,_ would he? No, wait, he was only fifteen --  
  
He frowned again, and looked across the space to meet Breda's puzzled eyes.  
  
Hawkeye looked at the clock on the wall again, and then at the half-open door to the Colonel's office. Roy Mustang had precisely seven and a half minutes to finish his coffee, before it was time for Hawkeye to come in and brace him into doing his paperwork. She scowled down at her stack of papers that all needed signing off; was it _all _ men who needed to be prodded into taking responsibility, or just this one?  
  
She almost missed Edward's entry into the room; he didn't stop, but just kept going in towards the Colonel's office. Hey, Lieutenant, he greeted her in passing, and made for the door.  
  
Startled, she dropped the stack of paperwork. Ah, Edward -- she said. I don't think the Colonel is --  
  
She stopped, and looked at the half-open door. From what she could see, Mustang was folding papers into origami figures. She sighed. Go right in, Fullmetal, she said.  
  
Ed said. This won't take long. He sounded positively gleeful about something, and as he passed, he smiled down at her.  
  
Wait a minute. Smiled _down_ at her? Even when sitting, Hawkeye was still taller than Edward.  
  
An alarm began to go off in her head, and she pushed her chair back from her desk and stood, just in time to see Edward disappear into the inner office. Suddenly worried for the continued health of her fellow officers and the structural integrity of the office, she followed.  
  
The noise Lieutenant Hawkeye made then was not exactly a shriek, but it wasn't exactly a word, either. Still, it was quite enough to bring Havoc and Breda, followed shortly by Fury from outside, tumbling into the office. They nearly ran headlong into Hawkeye, standing frozen in the doorway, and a few moments of muttering, cursing, and elbowing for positions ensued.  
  
Finally, everyone had gotten sorted out, enough to get a clear view of Colonel Roy Mustang, a half-folded crane in his hands, blinking in a sleepy and puzzled manner up at Edward.  
  
_Up_ at Edward.  
  
At Edward Elric, who, as he turned towards them, afforded them a very nice view of his new boots.  
  
His glossy black, patent-leather, six-inch stiletto heel boots.  
  
"Well?" Ed planted his hands on his hips, smirking. "What do you think of _that?"  
  
_Hawkeye found her voice first, possibly because of having the most exposure. "Um, Edward," she sputtered, and started again. "Fullmetal -- you appear to be... er... wearing some rather non-regulation footwear."  
  
Ed turned towards her with a sarcastic quirk of his eyebrows. "Since when do I wear that stupid uniform anyway?" he said.  
  
"_Edward," _ Fury half-whispered. "You do know that those are, uh, _women's_ boots?"  
  
"Mm-hmm!" Edward beamed as he nodded. "Impressive, aren't they?"  
  
There was another moment when nobody knew quite what to say. Roy carefully set the half-finished crane on the desk, and leaned forward to get a good look at the boots. In addition to the monstrous heels, the ball of the shoe also had a several-inch platform, which explained the considerable boost to height. The leather was stamped with stars and flowers. "Fullmetal --" he started.  
  
"Edward!" Havoc burst in. "Don't you think that wearing something _those,_ to a _military base_ of all places, is a little bit, well, _weird?"  
  
_"Uh-huh," Edward nodded again. He was smiling, the same sort of smile he wore right before he turned roads into holes.  
  
"Edward," Hawkeye put in kindly, "has it occurred to you that you and Alphonse may be spending too much time alone?"  
  
Edward just snorted, and rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."  
  
"Then why in God's name don't you even have the grace to look a _little _ embarassed?" Breda shrieked, losing his cool entirely.  
  
"_Because,_" Edward said, voice full of suppressed glee. He swivelled around, very neatly managing to keep his legs from fouling up, and pointed across the desk at Roy. Roy had a half-alarmed, half-bemused look on his face, like a man not quite sure if this was caused by eating too many enchiladas before bed.  
  
"Fullmetal," he said mildly, "we need to have a talk about exactly what regulations forbid taking clothes out of their superior officers' closets."  
  
fin


End file.
